Christmas shopping - online or instore?

[xLaura]

How do you do majority of your Christmas shopping?

I used to LOVE going Christmas shopping! The excitement of walking around the shops looking at all the gifts and then walking back round them again choosing what I wanted. I also used to love planning a day out at a larger shopping centre in a city either Manchester, Liverpool or London and making a day of it.

Now ... I couldn't think of anything worse than spending a day christmas shopping. The crowds, the people grrrrrr!!! I only now make a journey if I know there's something I want from somewhere and then it's normally only to get it and come back.

I think for me I love the internet as 1) it's so convent, I can shop wherever I want and 2) I can search for the best price everywhere before I buy anything. This year I have actually done ALL my shopping online. Apart from a few bits I've picked up from the supermarket when I've been doing my food shop, but these things are something I wouldn't of bought if I hadn't been there kind of thing.

Anyway, my mum mentioned about me being a bargain hunter as I'm obsessed with finding the cheapest thing, and a friend thought it was strange that I haven't actually been 'Christmas shopping' so I just wandered what everyone elsewas like? Or am I just a miserable person nowadays haha?

 

[AngelofTroy]

I'm going with a bit of a mixture, i went round the shops yesterday with Micah and that water lovely and christmassy and gave me ideas of what things he's hoping for (pointed to a wooden train set and said "I choose this!" which is fab as I know the in laws have bought him one!) but I don't do all my actual shopping there, i look online and see if it's cheaper, which it usually is! Yesterday Micah saw 'Alfie's Christmas' in Waterstones and I found it for half the price on Amazon and ordered it from my phone still in the shop!

The bit I love about 'real' Christmas shopping is the displays, the christmassy food and drink for sale, the little market stalls with jewellery and candles etc (I usually buy my mum something like that), the music playing etc. You can't get the same atmosphere online IMO.

 

[Baby Bell]

I like going around the shops but like you, I HAtE crowds of people
I tend to do the majority of my christmas shopping through the year. So never really going to shops......however this time of year I like the internet. But I do tend to get things delivered to shops as I am a Scrooge and won't pay for delivery charges if at all possible. But normally have a few places to pick up from, so in and out without trying to 'shop' with a buggy in the chaos

 

[kirstybumx3]

I have enjoyed doing some actual shopping before it gets very busy but a lot of the time it's just looking for things then I'll go home and compare prices to buy online! Or I'll sit in Starbucks on my phone and make sure I am getting the cheapest price before I buy lol!!
I have never really bargain hunter like this until this year when I found the grotto, I've saved loads though! X

 

[Natasha2605]

Practically all of mine has been online. So much easier!

 

[AP]

Huge huge majority has been online and its always been great that way

 

[Button#]

I've bought most of my presents now and I've done it all online. I always buy clothes for OH and that I will go to the shops for, at least to choose what to buy. I will obviously check if I can get it cheaper online before purchasing. I'm already looking forward to a Black Forest hot chocolate in Costa halfway through and LO will be with OH so I can have a nice bit of me time.

 

[Pearls18]

I love to bimble around shops at Christmas time and see what they've got I love the atmosphere at shopping malls IF there isn't anything I NEED, I find it waaaay too stressful trying to get around people when I've got a list, so I do 95% of it online, although I often get stuff sent to store as I hate paying P&p lol, then I can just go get a hot chocolate it's not just convenient but I find it much cheaper, just last night I did an order on thorntons and found a 20% off code online. Last year I did the food shopping all online too.

 

[Scout]

I've bought most of my Christmas online, but I love shopping in the malls during the season. I don't mind the people and I love the music and decorations. And to me, there is something about seeing an item in person. The only time I hate shopping is when I go out with specific people in mind to buy for and I don't know what in the world I'm going to get them. Then it's too stressful. Call me crazy, but I love going out on black Friday even when I don't have any gifts left to buy

 

[shanny]

Online on boring sat nights in front of the telly - fill up the amazon basket with no hassle or parking deadline.

I like a little mooch for some extra bits and the atmosphere but no pressure as then I make crap choices

 

[Eleanor ace]

90% of my shopping for the kids is done online, because I know what I want to get them and look out for bargains. The best deals tend to be on Amazon or elsewhere online. For other people who I don't know what I'm getting I tend to look in store. My mum and MIL I usually buy stuff from independent shops, things which aren't online. For DH and my Dad I do a mixture of instore and online (if I see something in a shop I think he'll like I check online to see if I can get it cheaper and if not i buy it then and there). My bros I buy online for.
I love Christmas shopping in theory, the excited faces, Christmas songs and decrations everywhere, but in reality the shops tend to be full of busy, cross people and I just get frustrated. I still like to go Christmas shopping in store but only once I've bought the majority of what I need so that I can just leave shops if it is annoying.

 

[Mrs_T]

I tend to do about 2/3 online if not more, then at the end of Nov/ beginning of Dec me and my mother in law always go Christmas shopping together at somewhere like lakeside or westfield to get the bits we need in store. I love all the Christmas music etc! I have to admit though, we always end up finding stuff that we want for Christmas and luckily my oh is so unorganised that I can buy stuff and he'll buy it off me

 

[liz1985]

I 90% shop online. I do love going to the shops in person but hate the crowds etc at christmas. Me my mum and sister go to either London or york every year at christmas time but i like have done my shopping by then so i just browse and get things that take my fancy, rather than having the pressure of knowing i have to get certain things.

 

[motherofboys]

Online, sadly. I SO want to go proper Christmas shopping. But I want it to be Christmassy which means waiting till later this month at the earliest. And I don't want to miss a bargain or get home to find I regret buying 20% of it and one has 20 gifts and another has 5. But if I decide what I want before I go then I won't be able to find it.
Over the next few weeks I'll pick up the odd few bits like stocking fillers but the other stuff is all online.

 

[leoniebabey]

for the kids i shop mostly online.
a- better deals
b- they cant see what im buying
c- i dont drive so it's alot easier having them delivered

for family, unless theres something specific online then i shop in store as i like to have a good look at things.

 

[Amarna]

I buy most things for the girls except for dollar store stocking stuffers online. I would go to the shops as I love the atmosphere but I can always find whatever I need much cheaper online and I'm on a budget, not to mention that I almost always have them with me and would see whatever I'm getting them. I almost never make it into the shops alone!

For other people I'd say it's 50/50. I get what I can online and shop around if I know what I want to get them. But sometimes I have no clue and then find it easiest to go into the store and actually be able to see the physical products before I decide.

 

[meldmac]

I say it's half and half as I do get a lot of Colin's stuff online but I love going at least once or twice to the mall for the atmosphere. My MIL and I always go to the after hours event at our mall here in November and I can't wait to do that.

 

[Mum21boy1girl]

I love going shopping in the storeas i like to look at what i am buying, but my youngest hates shopping and is one of those kids you see screaming the shop down lol so i have done most of it online this yr, i will go i to the store next mth and have a quick browse around the Christmassy decorations etc

 

[monkee12]

I do most of it online as I hate crowds, even worse when your needing to get on buses with kids and a pram it's a nightmare!

 

[JessdueJan]

I do the majority of it online but I do love a nice (child-free) wander round the shops once Christmas season gets into full swing. Normally Iv purchased most presents though so it's just for he atmosphere and little extras I see that I decide I'll buy.
DH and I usually pack the kids off to my mums and do late night shopping at the metro one night in December xx